Men & Women of Action Event Spreads Cheer in Appalachia
HINTON, WV — More than 55 volunteers, with tractor-trailers and U-hauls full of toys, coats, food and blessings rolled into southern West Virginia recently, determined to spread the spirit of God’s love and holiday hope to families in need throughout Hinton.
Men and Women of Action — a global outreach ministry of the Cleveland, Tenn., Church of God — selected Hinton to host is annual Appalachian Christmas event this weekend, and they have set up at the Hinton Lifeline Church at 505 Stokes Dr. as a temporary headquarters this week.
Pastor Mark Bayle said they couldn’t be more welcome.
“Most of the stuff is brand new. All of these people are volunteers. They raise all the money, they bring in all of the items, all of the food, all of the gifts, and they go into a community that has been through some hard times — like Hinton has — and they give everything away,” Bayle said this week. “This organization donates everything. They don’t ask for anything in return. They just try to bless the families.”
Bayle, who pastors the Hinton church that serves as a remote branch of the Princeton Lifeline Church, which branched off from the Princeton Church of God, said the Appalachian Christmas event in Hinton began with a phone call a couple of weeks ago.
“They asked me if we’d like to have them come in for the Appalachian Christmas, and I said sure,” he recalled.
He’s delighted, and grateful, that he accepted that act of generosity.
When the gifts and volunteers started rolling in last weekend, Bayle almost couldn’t believe his eyes.
“It was almost overwhelming,” he said. “I don’t know the word to use to describe someone who wants to turn around and bless somebody else the way these people do. It’s amazing to see a group of people who have that much care.”
Sunday, the preparations for the week of giving began. Monday, the MWOA team prepared hundreds of food boxes that were distributed Wednesday, so that families could pick up their Thanksgiving dinner ingredients between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. That same day, volunteers distributed warm winter coats to families who needed them. Today, a Christmas party is slated for children ages newborn to 16 years old, 6-9 p.m. Each child will receive a wrapped gift for Christmas, but the child must be present in order to claim a gift.
Pre-registration is required and may be done by stopping by the church before the event at 505 Stokes Drive in Hinton. Bayle may also be contacted at 304-320-6003. No financial information is required or asked. Income levels are not a requisite.
(Source: By Tammie Toler, Princeton Times, November 25, 2016)
